US schools continue to lag behind internationally in science and math education.
On the other hand, the US is the largest, single, R&D-performing nation in the world pumping some $340 billion into future-related technologies. The US also leads the world in patent development.
Of the $340 billion R&D total, basic research accounted for 18 % or $62 billion; applied research accounted for 22 % or $75 billion; and development accounted for the other 60 % or $203 billion. In 2006, the federal government supplied about 60 % of all basic research funds, industry about 17 %, with private foundations, academic institutions and other governmental entities supplying the rest.
This is indeed substantial investment, but as one commentator on slashdot (http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?no_d2=1&sid=08/01/18/1636232) says,
...we spending the most money, on the dumbest researchers?
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